Apollo's Bet
by rockyroad69
Summary: Artemis loses a bet with Apollo, and is forced to have a date with someone of her choice. And what if that someone coincidentally happens to be Percy Jackson himself? A three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**The Bet**

 **I hope I managed to keep Artemis in-character as much as I could. I'm pretty rusty in the PJO fandom (haven't been writing here for a while), so apologies if I don't get it exactly right here. Hope you enjoy!**

Artemis couldn't be more humiliated when she faced her brother, who was struggling not to snicker at her pathetic looking expression. She had lost to him, and worse, beaten at her own game. The Goddess of the Hunt, defeated in a hunting game by Apollo. It took all her willpower not to cover her face in embarrassment in front of her brother.

"Remember the bet, Sis," Apollo folded his arms, pretending to be stern.

Artemis knew that he was trying not to laugh, it only made her even more infuriated. And it wasn't like she could answer him, either. She, in her sheer confidence over her domain, had already sworn a two way bet on the Styx with Apollo.

Basically, if Artemis won, Apollo would be forced to do one thing for her – but if Apollo won, it would be the opposite. The proud Huntress knew she shouldn't have done it, but with a game of hunting that she excelled in… not to mention the possibility of shutting Apollo up forever...

It was all too tempting.

And she lost.

"Don't be stupid." Artemis bit her lip, knowing that there weren't too many options.

"You swore on the Styx too. And you know I don't lie," Apollo shrugged, before he winked.

"URGH!" Artemis shouted, in her frustration, thinking of ways to get out of this. "I am immortal, don't you remember?"

"Well, if you don't do it, or harm me in any way, I could always share this story with the others,"

Apollo hummed, scratching his chin. "Imagine what Hermes would say, or worse, Father."

At this, Artemis fell silent. If Apollo followed through with his threat, she wouldn't be able to face the Olympians. Gritting her teeth, she gave him a grudging nod, her blazing silver eyes peering into his blue ones.

"Make it quick," Artemis clenched her teeth harder.

Apollo broke a sweat, but didn't stop smiling. In fact, it had become more sinister.

"You – are going to have your first date with someone of your choice."

 **xXx**

Artemis wondered if she had held back enough – Apollo needed to be present in the Olympic Council, after all. The fierce Huntress knew he hardly cared though, he had faced worse against powerful monsters, and would still follow through with his threat.

Settling down her moon chariot, Artemis went into the bar that her brother had "so kindly" handpicked for her, and nearly retched when she entered. The stinking smell of alcohol, and filthy men were prevalent in the air, not to mention the clouded, blank eyes set on her body – none of which made her comfortable.

The goddess knew that Apollo's plan was going to fail – partly because she was probably going to turn every bloody human in the bar into a jackalope if they continued their insolence. Suddenly, she felt a force pulling her arm away. She was about to use her powers, in her rage, but stopped when she found herself looking at a familiar set of sea-green eyes.

"Perseus Jackson?!" Artemis' mouth gaped, but he shushed her, before pulling her out of the bar.

"What – exactly – are you doing here, Lady Artemis?" Percy looked rather puzzled. "And why aren't you in a child form?"

"What are YOU doing here?!" Artemis raised her voice, surprised to see someone like Percy in a filthy place like this. "Besides, why would a _child_ go into a bar?"

"Well..." Percy shrugged in understanding.

He must've been thinking that Artemis was going to kill him. Meanwhile, she pursed her lips, wondering if she could trust Percy with the bet. He was after all, one of the better men, and his breath didn't smell of alcohol.

To _Hades_ with it. Besides, if he laughed at her, she could always turn him into a lovely jackalope.

"I um, had an um…" She tried to say.

"What?"

"I uh…" Artemis pursed her lips even more, as her discomfort started to grow.

Percy raised his eyebrow, and she became even more embarrassed. She quickly shut her feelings of shame. She was a proud goddess of the Hunt, damn it!

"I lost a bet with Apollo," Artemis finally got the words out. "In a hunting game."

"Aren't you the goddess of the Hunt?"

"Shut up!"

"So…?" Percy tilted his head, a crooked smile on his face.

"Could you be my first date?" Artemis said. "All the other men are horrendous, filthy. I can't stand them. And I swore on the Styx, so it's not like I could avoid it."

"But aren't you immortal? Can't you like, avoid the Styx's wrath?" Percy asked again, as if wondering why she was accepting this easily.

Artemis snapped, "I can't! He threatened to tell others if I don't go through with this. Do you know what this means?!"

"Oh," Percy could only let out - he knew that the Olympians would never let Artemis hear the end of it.

"So, can you be my first date?" the maiden goddess asked again, this time tightening her lips to show her impatience.

At this, Percy's eyes started to roll back, but Artemis grabbed his hand. He looked so surprised, he wasn't actually receptive for a few moments, until Artemis started to shout at him,

"Perseus!"

"Uh, date, yeah, okay," Percy started to rub his temple. "Only Apollo…"

There was an awkward silence between them, before Artemis finally said, "So, where do you want to go?"

"Huh? We're starting _now_?! Gods…"

More awkward silence.

 **xXx**

Percy knew that something was going to happen, but he didn't expect _this_. He feared for his life, but on the flipside, thought that it was a rather interesting idea to bring a _maiden_ goddess to a date. However, it was also imperative that he survived the night. So, like all his dates that he had with Annabeth, he started by bringing Artemis to a movie.

Artemis wasn't actually a bad movie-goer – depending on who she goes with, of course. In fact, she was extremely entertaining, in the sense that she was like her brother more than she actually realized.

Like Apollo, she just couldn't shut up - except that instead of talking about the hot girls in the movie, she spoke, no, ranted about her hatred of men and how undervalued the female cast was. The goddess was so passionate, some other people had actually noticed – much to Percy's amusement and embarrassment.

Especially when the hero saved the damsel in distress and she ranted. "Typical tool(men), only doing those deeds to get the poor girl."

Or the other scene when the girl fawned over the male protagonists, and she went "What does she see in such an opportunistic idiot like him? I don't understand bimbos like her - it's absolutely disgraceful how this stupid movie portrays women."

"Lady Artemis, please don't kill me for this, but you really need to relax. It's just a movie," Percy had said, when she got a little too far. She was actually considering turning the whole movie crew into jackalopes.

And Artemis replied with something Percy called "maiden goddess nonsense", with all her vitriol and hatred and venom towards the men in the movie intensifying even more, not to mention her disapproval of Percy's 'support' for them.

He would've found it funny, if not for all the people staring at them. However, he had noticed that she wasn't really angry. Though he wasn't going to rule out the inherent threat to his life - not to mention the poor unsuspecting movie crew - just yet. They didn't call her "fierce huntress" for no reason.

After they left the movie, Percy had mixed feelings. He didn't actually mind the experience, and while the movie was terrible, Artemis herself wasn't all bad. She could be rather annoying, what with all her hatred of men but she was overall rather courteous, and actually quite easy to talk to – though it was clear that she was forcing herself at some points. But, it had stirred up old feelings.

After all, it had been just a year since he had separated from Annabeth.

The Son of Poseidon could see Artemis raising an eyebrow towards him, and he knew that she had saw right through him, but she did not comment. However, he had an obligation to fulfil. It was Artemis' first date - might as well give her a good time, man-hater or not. At times, he couldn't help but curse his subconscious.

"Are you coming?" Percy asked, and Artemis followed quietly.

Percy had to lose count of how many times he had to try to convince Artemis from turning a curious passer-by into a jackalope. It was a rather populated street, with the normal chatter and the grey surroundings, with the roads, buildings, pavements, and people just walking by. Artemis of course, being the goddess that she is, literally and figuratively, stood out.

Her auburn hair shone in the sunlight, it's wavy strands riding the wind, while her pale face was the epitome of natural beauty – regal high cheekbones, and well-defined eyebrows, with rosy, red lips. She was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt that day, which showcased her toned shoulders, and wore tight jeans that displayed her defined, curves.

Needless to say, her stunning appearance didn't exactly help, and Percy had to refrain from praying to the gods – it would probably be bad if Aphrodite caught wind of a date between Artemis and him.

"So, what were you doing in the bar?" Artemis asked. "It's not like you to wander in a place like that."

"It's an old habit," Percy shrugged.

"Weren't you with…" Artemis started to say, before stopping herself when Percy winced. "Sorry."

"It's nothing – we've moved on from it," Percy smiled. "She and I are still on good terms. So, what brought _you_ here?"

"Like I said before, I lost a bet with Apollo, and swore on the Styx to do any of his bidding if I lost," Artemis said as-a-matter-of-factly, as if Percy was stupid.

Naturally, Percy was annoyed, but didn't show it. Instead, he shook his head and said, "And why did you agree to it? You know Apollo won't make such a deal so easily."

"Well…"

"You got cocky, didn't you?" Percy started to laugh, much to Artemis' ire.

However, all she did was purse her lips, as if she was doing all she could to not snap at the loose-tongued demigod. Of course, all he did was to laugh, which made it all the more infuriating for her.

"Shall I turn you into a jackalope?" Artemis folded her arms, and Percy bit his lip.

"Well, nope," Percy waved his hand nonchalantly, much to the goddess' surprise.

"Why not?"

"Why exactly would I want to turn into an animal?" Percy tilted his head.

Suddenly, Artemis let out a giggle. It was a strange sound, especially coming from a crazy manh-

"I can hear you," Artemis' tone was stern.

Percy shook his head at her, but did not comment. He did however, observe the glow in her silver eyes. It glowed all the time, and it was stunningly beautiful as always, yes, but there was a different charm to it here. He dare-thought that it was almost an endearing look, and winced at the possibility that Artemis was listening, again. Which she probably wasn't, judging from the lack of reaction. Perhaps the date wouldn't be so bad after all.

"What are you smiling about?" Artemis snapped, and Percy laughed.

If the demigod had looked closer, he would have seen the faint blush on her cheeks.

 **xXx**

"Annabeth was right," Artemis said. "You _are_ a Seaweed Brain."

"Well, you can't blame me for the restaurant being full!" Percy retorted.

"You should've known that it was the peak hour, you stupid man!" Artemis shouted, almost losing her temper.

"You weren't helping!" Percy rebutted, raising his voice. "Well, what do we do now? End the date?"

Artemis saw Percy shrugged apathetically, and she couldn't help but feel a small tug in her chest.

"Well, I hope you had a great ti-"

"Wait, Perseus," The moon goddess bit her lip. "I want to show you a place, first."

"What?"

"I said, I want to show you a place first," Artemis furrowed her eyebrows. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Where is it?" Percy asked, genuinely curious.

Artemis seemed not to listen, as she started to glow in silver. Suddenly, Percy could hear the sound of tell-tale gallops, and looked up to see the moon chariot hovering by them.

The huntress beckoned, and Percy followed. He couldn't help but be mesmerised as they rose high in the air, basking in the beauty of the stars above. Zoe's constellation seemed to grow brighter, when he looked at her. He laughed when he wondered about her possible reaction to this date.

He'd probably return to the camp in a shroud of arrows.

"Zoe never blamed you, you know?" Artemis' face was marred in sadness. "She said to me that you were the bravest man she had ever known."

"She didn't say _that_ to me."

"Of course she wouldn't say that to a man,," Artemis scoffed, but her face displayed pride, and a hint of sadness. "I gleaned that from her last thoughts. She was a fine huntress."

"How was she in her prime, Lady Artemis?" Percy asked, genuinely curious.

"Zoe Nightshade was, and is, half the reason why monsters flee from the Hunt," Artemis smirked, before adding softly. "She was also like a daughter to me. You should know this."

Percy simply nodded apologetically, and Artemis gave him a small, rare, genuine smile. In fact, it had to be only the second true smile he had ever seen from the normally stern goddess.

"We're almost there," Artemis whispered, nudging the reigns.

There was a silence between them, but it was no longer as awkward as it was when they first started. It was much more comfortable, and Artemis wasn't giving him critical looks and stares anymore.

"So, what happened with Annabeth?" Artemis asked.

"We… just had too many things we didn't really agree with," Percy tried to find the right words. "It didn't really work out. We're still friends, though, so it's not all that bad, I guess."

"I see," Artemis said. "I should have brought her to the Hunt, then."

"Um, no, that probably wouldn't work out either," Percy laughed. "She can be one hell of a fiery anarchist - not exactly what you'd want, Lady ."

"Just like Zoe Nightshade," Artemis chuckled. "And Thalia Grace, as well."

Percy nodded, as he breathed in the cool night air. The sky was nearly pitch black, and dotted out by illuminating stars. It must've been near midnight, if it wasn't already. The air was rather cold, and was completely silent, except for the soft sounds of the reins of the moon chariot. He felt content, and serene.. and saw it on Artemis' face as well.

"We're here," Artemis called, and jumped out of the chariot.

Percy followed, and Artemis waved the moon chariot away. He walked, to find himself in a small clearing in the forest, with a handmade bench right in the middle.

The scent was of flowers, and grass, aided by a slow breeze that seemed to calm his ADHD down. The bench looked ancient, as did all the trees around him - they were extremely large. Looking up, he saw the probable reason why Artemis had chosen this place - it was directly under Zoe's constellation.

It made the place all the more meaningful, and intimate.

"So, what do you think?" The huntress asked, her voice soft.

"It's really.. wow."

"As eloquent as ever, Perseus Jackson," Artemis chuckled. "I'll have to attend to my duties soon, so I thought I'd show you this place. This spot is very important to me, and one of my few sanctuaries. You are the only man who has seen this. Not even Orion has set foot in this place."

"Um.."

At this, Artemis giggled yet again, the sound echoing off the forest. Percy this time heard it properly, the lilt in her musical, yet firm voice.

"I really don't-"

"You don't have to _say_ anything, Perseus," Artemis said. "Just enjoy this, gods-damnit."

Perseus laughed, sat back, and tried to follow his date's advice. He still couldn't quite wrap it around his head fully. Artemis was his _date_.

"You're lucky that you are indeed one of the best men, or I would have turned you into a jackalope for your rudeness," Artemis said.

Perseus took a chance. "If it were that way, you'd have turned me a long time ago, Lady Artemis."

"Perseus… Are you trying to test me?"

"It's the ADHD," Perseus quickly said, much to Artemis' amusement.

"If you are watching, Zoe, I hope that you understand and approve," The huntress looked up, before calling out. "Perseus!"

Percy turned, and found himself facing Artemis, who had a strange expression. The huntress went very close to him, her silver eyes warmer than he had ever seen before. She leaned to his ear, and Percy almost gasped when he felt her warmth.

She then whispered, "We should do this again, sometime."

"Yes. Yes, we should," Percy nodded dumbly, and Artemis laughed softly, before she edged away, and started to retreat to her chariot.

Percy almost didn't notice her leaving,

"Eh, Lady Artemis, where are you going?" Perseus asked.

"My duties, of course," Artemis folded her arms. "I _am_ a goddess, you know."

Percy sighed, recognizing the familiar tone that made him feel rather stupid. Artemis raised an eyebrow at his disappointed look, and said, "Be glad that you weren't turned into a jackalope."

"Huh?" He frowned at the sudden coldness in her voice.

"I still hate men," Artemis chuckled, and Perseus slumped. "BUt as Zoe said - perhaps not all men after all. We'll meet again. I'll tell you when."

"What's the bet that you'll show up?" Percy winked, as Artemis harrumphed.

"I'll think of something," The goddess nodded, seemingly amused, before her face turned serious. "Perseus, for your own sake, do _not_ tell anyone about what transpired in this date. Not even Apollo - even if he planned for this. My brother is still touchy about these things."

"Why would Apollo force you to go on one, then?" Percy wondered.

"Oh, that's probably because he finds it amusing - Apollo does love to bask in my humiliation. Besides, he expects me to kill the man anyway," Artemis said this a little too cheerily. "But don't worry, I won't kill you. Just remember - no one must know about this."

"That's reassuring," Percy said sarcastically, before curling his lips. "You have my word, Lady Artemis."

Artemis showed no reaction, as she climbed her chariot and readied her leave.

"And Percy?" Percy perked up in surprise - it was the first time Artemis had called him that. "Call me Artemis from now on."

Suddenly, her silver eyes narrowed, "However, don't you _dare_ call me Arty."

Percy nodded with a nervous laugh, and with that, she pulled the reins, and disappeared into the sky, or more accurately, the moon... and leaving the poor demigod there, practically in the middle of nowhere. He wouldn't realize it until much later though. After all, Artemis, the maiden goddess, prime man-hater, had approached him for _another_ date.

His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell unconscious - albeit with a smile.

 **xXx**

 **Am conflicted whether to make this a multichapter, hehe. It's kind of a toughie for me thus far, because I left the ending really open. :)**

 **Reviews are appreciated, and deeply listened to.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Apollo's Bet**

 **Chapter 2**

 **A Starlit Night**

 **xXx**

The date with Artemis had indeed been some experience.

Percy had expected it to fall flat on its face. Heck, at the time, he was already preparing himself mentally for life as a jackalope. What acorns he'd pick out at camp, which Gods to pull favours with to turn him back. It was no doubt what Apollo expected her to do.

Instead, what Percy had gotten was a pretty friendly one with a dignified, quirky, albeit rather short-tempered lady. Artemis showed a certain tenderness that he only saw her show to her Hunters. Especially when she looked toward Zoe's constellation. He never saw this side of Artemis, and couldn't help but be intrigued.

Still, it had been a month since then.

Ever since that day, Percy had included Artemis in his prayers, even sneaking her an offering or two in a few dinners. While he did smell the familiar fragrance of pine and even a little bit of spice from the sacrifices, it was about all he received. Other than that, it was completely silent, like nothing had happened at all.

Percy should have expected it. In all honesty, it had been quite a miracle that he had survived that day, especially after all the cheek he showed her and given her track record with the opposite gender.

Normally, he would understand that immediately and moved on, but Artemis made that promise.

' _We should do this again.'_ She had said.

Sighing, Percy continued to glumly eat his dinner. He had managed to keep his word to Artemis, containing all events of the date from everyone… well, except his father.

And let it be known that this time, Percy Jackson had a valid excuse.

The huntress had pretty much marooned him there. Percy needed to get back to camp quickly. A long absence would mean questions he'd rather not answer. So he turned to the only one he could trust with the knowledge, which was his father.

It took some explaining, and making his father swear to the River Styx (twice for good measure) - which the flabbergasted Sea God did in the midst of nervous laughter - but he managed to get out of that sanctuary with the help of a few, very excitable Hippocampi.

He still remembered the Mist shrouding over the place - a certain blurriness, like water running down a glass wall, diluting the dark green of the sanctuary to the blacker surroundings. The Huntress constellation shined brighter than ever, as if to try to entice Percy to turn back and wait for Artemis' eventual return.

It pained him, until now. If he had stayed, would she have returned? Not that he knew. Well, he never really cared about another relationship, after the little thing he had with Annabeth. They were young, yes, but there was a _spark_ there. He knew it. And it ran strong, until their duty set in to slowly snuff it all out altogether.

And duty was something Artemis had in spades. Inwardly shrugging, Percy quickly broke himself out of his thoughts, walking toward the campfire, where Chiron waved a greeting towards Percy, who returned it.

"Interesting coincidence, Percy," Chiron looked down at a few papers on his hand.

"Eh?" Percy tilted his head, wondering what the old centaur was on about.

"I've just received an iris message from Thalia," Chiron said. "The Hunt is coming this Friday."

Instantly, Percy perked up, but managed to control himself from doing anything he'd regret. "Uh, right. Why?"

"Well for starters, it's the third anniversary of Gaea's defeat," Chiron explained.

"Oh, right." Apparently, the Gods had planned for a pretty big party for the demigod heroes in Camp Half-Blood. Not that the demigods cared much for it.

After the war, everyone pretty much just wanted to be left alone.

"So, the whole Hunt's coming?" Percy almost wanted to hit himself for blurting out that question.

"Of course, the whole of the Hunt will attend," Chiron raised an eyebrow at his query, before adding. "Even Lady Artemis herself."

Percy nodded rather quickly and let out a muffled "right" when he heard Artemis' name, and then bit his lip as he saw Chiron slightly purse his lips and raise his eyebrow even higher. As always, the centaur had seen through him.

"Anything I should know, Perseus Jackson?" Chiron asked, his tail flicking.

Percy quickly answered. "No, no sir."

With that, the demigod quickly turned and went straight to his cabin, not daring to look back towards Chiron. He never even bothered to ask what the coincidence was about. Crashing on his bunk, Percy ruminated on the upcoming celebration event.

He started to remember the wars, and couldn't help but feel a clench in his chest as he remembered all the sacrifices that was needed, the sacrifices that a victory memorial couldn't do justice to. Closing his eyes, Percy started to slowly recite the names of each fallen hero that he could remember.

As he finally closed his eyes and uttered the last name though, he found himself seeing Artemis, her radiant face slightly slacked in slight sadness, though there was a hint of a smile on it. Her wavy auburn hair slightly blowing in the wind, and her silver eyes holding a tender gaze, Zoe's constellation beautifully reflecting off it.

Boy, was he in trouble. At this point, Percy wished he was still that dense fifteen-year-old he once was.

 **xXx**

The Hunt came in with all the subtlety of an army of jackalopes raiding a carrot pantry. The silver and all the bows, and everything, not to mention Thalia squealing "SEAWEED BRAIN!" before nearly crushing him in an embrace he was sure not to forget for a while.

"Where's Annabeth?" Thalia asked, before letting out a sympathetic grimace. "Sorry."

I casually waved my hand. "It's alright, Thals. Anyway, she said she's coming in a bit; apparently she's still got a few matters to settle. Seriously, you all think we hate each other."

Thalia managed a smile, before catching up with Percy about the last few years. Apparently, the Hunt was worked much harder than before, as the Gods looked to finally finish off all their enemies in hiding. Percy didn't miss Thalia's large sigh, as she finished her story about the last hunt they did. Percy couldn't blame her; they were all tired of fighting.

"So, you guys still work together now?" Thalia asked, changing the subject.

"Uh, yeah. The Roman guys have been really great help in the recovering thing," Percy told. "Jason and Reyna work really well together in all of this."

"How about you?" The daughter of Zeus looked rather concerned.

Percy shrugged. "I stepped down. This was never my thing anyway."

"Right. Anyway, Lady Ar-" Thalia stopped, as the mandatory Hunter/Camper squabbling started. "Oh Gods. I'll talk to you later."

"Later, Thals!" Percy laughed, before he turned around and saw her.

Approaching him, was the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis. Except that this time, she was in her child form, so Percy felt slightly weird. She gazed intensely right into Percy's eyes, and the demigod couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"It has been some time, Perseus," Artemis cordially said. "You're still alive."

"Of course, Artemis," Percy bowed slightly, to which she laughed slightly.

"There is no need to bow, hero," the Goddess tilted her head, before smiling slightly, a glint in her silver eyes that Percy couldn't quite place. "Well, I must take my leave. I hope you enjoy the party, Perseus."

As she left, Percy could feel his heart pounding. He almost didn't notice the scent of the sea - his father.

"How appropriate that we should hold such a celebration at the home of the true heroes," Poseidon broke into a proud smile.

Percy nodded at that - the Gods were finally acknowledging their children's contributions. It was a shame that it took a lot deaths and suffering for that to happen, but well, it was a start.

"Seaweed brain!" Thalia called. "The party's starting, come!"

Percy gladly obliged.

 **xXx**

The party was rather rowdy, especially with Apollo blasting his music over the Hephaestus-grade boombox. It was a shame that Apollo had a _quirky_ taste, resulting in Iris making a huge profit on the magical ear cotton that night.

Aphrodite was more bubbly than usual, giggling with her children as they gossiped. Even the normally stoic Athena sported a rare smile during the party, as she spoke to each and every child of hers.

The Gods were closer than ever to their children, and Percy could not help but raise a glass to Luke, and so many other of his friends, who had fought, and sacrificed for all this.

Annabeth had kept her promise, and by the gods, she could not stop rattling off or rather, gushing about her new projects and future plans. She was happy, and Percy knew that. And he could not help but feel happy for her. After all, she was his best friend.

The party went on and Percy found his throat becoming rather scratchy, after all the talking. Taking his leave for a bit, he went to a small crowd, where apparently there was a game going on. He saw a few grinning faces as he approached, and couldn't help but be curious.

"Percy! Percy! Percy!" A chant started to sound.

"Um, what's happening?" Percy asked, before being pushed into some sort of makeshift arena by a grinning Travis Stoll.

"A fight, then!" Chiron called, his voice commanding, but half-laughing as well. "Who will step in the arena with Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon and Hero of Olympus?"

There were a few cries, for Annabeth and Thalia, and even Ares. Clarisse especially wanted a rematch. Suddenly, the crowd was silent, as a familiar voice said, "I will."

With cat-like grace, the owner of the voice leaped into the arena, and Percy could hear a few gasps.

Percy could tell even Chiron was taken aback, but he managed to regain himself and say it anyway. "The challenge has been accepted, and she is Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt!"

"Whoa there, try not to kill him alright, sis!" Apollo called.

"There will be no killing today – hopefully," Chiron sighed, before raising his voice. "The fighter who draws first blood, will win the match. No powers are allowed. Now, fight!"

 _'_ _Oh gods.'_ Percy could barely hear his own thoughts over the roar of the crowd, as he pulled out Riptide and picked up a shield that was tossed on the ground. Looking at his new opponent, Percy couldn't help but observe- her knife flying to his face.

Quickly dodging, he rolled into position. Cursing himself for being distracted, Percy strafed, trying to watch Artemis' feet. He was confident that his shield would hold against her hunting knives, but didn't want to bet on it. Stabilizing, he dodged yet another thrust, before raising his shield to parry the follow-up.

Yet, he didn't notice the foot placed behind his ankle as he continued backing up. Tripping over and falling on his butt, he winced as he swiped his sword to deflect the two knives driving down toward his chest, and bashed his shield on Artemis to knock her off him. Artemis leaped back, a small smirk on her face.

Rolling to his feet, the son of Poseidon had almost no time to recover as he evaded, blocked, and parried a vicious series of attacks from the Goddess of the Hunt. His mind was on auto-pilot, as he deeply concentrated on trying not to be cut into little ribbons.

Percy knew he couldn't hold his defence for long. Artemis' strikes were growing in strength. Yet, her increasing aggression would also mean more openings. Percy hoped to bank on that, trying to frustrate her with his defensive style.

Suddenly stepping back, Percy had caught Artemis overextending to reach him, and he took the opportunity to counter-attack, sidestepping her thrust and slashed her across her torso- at least, he tried to. Artemis used her already tilted body to her advantage, and turned to dodge the slash, before viciously slicing her knife across Percy's cheek, who barely managed to dodge it.

Percy cursed. He was caught by surprise by Artemis, and almost lost it. She was two steps ahead of him, and had already planned a counter in advance. He had to stop giving her the initiative.

Instead of blocking her strike, Percy bashed his shield toward her, to which she yelped in relative surprise and leaped back. Seizing the opportunity, Percy changed his stance and charged, forcing her on the defensive.

And here, Percy noticed Artemis' brow furrowing. He had frustrated her, and he knew it. That said, he couldn't drag the battle for long. He was slowing down, and if he allowed her to continue her onslaught a moment longer, his defense would eventually break.

In a final push, Percy started slashing erratically towards Artemis. He was after all, the Son of the Sea. Unpredictability was his weapon, and Artemis believed in being patient, and calculating.

Then, he found his opening, when he did a bit of a mad move. Instead of avoiding and backing away from Artemis' frontal, fluid assault, he moved into it, his shield up to protect his head. The huntress was caught off-guard, and uncharacteristically took a step back, a mistake which the veteran noticed, before slicing his sword across her cheek.

There was a moment of complete silence, as golden ichor started to drip on the arena floor. Percy tiredly looked up to the audience who all looked disbelieving.

That said, he knew Artemis was holding back- which baffled him. Percy had personally saw Artemis fight Atlas, and knew how dangerously quick and fluid she could be. And yet, she was holding back against him, barely using any of her supreme agility and godly speed to overrun his defence. Instead she simply assaulted him head-on and relentlessly with her hunting knives, and that was about it. And he had no doubt that had she been serious, she would never have made that mistake in the end.

Her face was of complete shock, as she looked directly into Percy's sea-green eyes, and she reached her hand around her cheek. Yet, she gave him a small nod, and then to Chiron, who promptly shouted. "And the winner is, Perseus!"

The crowd cheered, earning a rather subdued wave from the son of Poseidon.

"You defeated me," Artemis said flatly. "You, a man. You will want a reward, yes?"

Percy was too tired to answer, but shrugged.

Artemis sighed, as if expecting this answer, but straightened herself. "Come with me on a hunt. Together, we will find game worthy of your victory over a God of Olympus."

Cheers continued to ring around the little arena, and Percy glimpsed an odd look on Apollo, as if he bit on something sour. Before he could start fearing for his life though, Artemis grabbed his hand, and he felt himself being flashed away.

In that moment Perseus could have sworn that he saw Artemis give him a small, sly wink.

 **xXx**

"So, which God did you tell?" Artemis asked, her voice holding a dangerous tone.

She was now in her adult form, which made it all the more intimidating. And beautiful too, especially with her red hair slowly blowing in the breeze, fiery strands that stood out within the surroundings, and her radiant, flawless face. And her silver eyes... the deep silver eyes that anyone would lose themselves in.

"Stop ogling," Artemis snapped. "Answer me."

Percy gulped, and said, "How did you know?"

"Well for starters, you left too quickly for you not to have any help; this island is under a rather powerful magical barrier," Artemis pointed out.

"My dad," Percy prepared himself to be turned into something. He inwardly hoped it was a sea animal so he could pray to Poseidon to change him back quickly.

It was then, Artemis laughed. The musical, high pitched laughter that he had longed to hear again for the past month. Percy grimaced, and held back his smile.

"I see. It wasn't that difficult, was it? Do not looked so frightened, Perseus. I'm not going to kill you, or turn you into a, ah, sea creature," Artemis said, her voice dripping with rather excitable amusement. "I'm fulfilling my promise. To do this again. And because this is the period of what you mortals call "the new moon", I am not so bound to my duties."

"Did you really need to do all that, though?" Percy asked.

"Of course," Artemis said, her voice rather serious. "Apollo and Lord Zeus would especially get suspicious otherwise, and even with all this, he is already suspicious."

"Chiron might already know," Percy piped up, earning a glare. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that.

Percy explained how it happened - Artemis' hard stare didn't budge.

"Typical man" Artemis shook her head. "Your kind are terrible at keeping secrets."

"Well, gossiping _is_ kind of a woman thing, so there," Percy pointed out.

Artemis turned her nose up. "Only if it's Aphrodite's children. The women I know - well, do you want to be turned into a jackalope, Perseus?"

Percy smiled at the familiar question, before replying yet again, "No, I don't."

To that, Artemis yet again giggled, and then she started talking about the Hunts that she had recently. Basically, they all boiled down to the Hunters trapping some poor sod (or a group of them) in some nasty trap which ranged from classic bear traps all the way to celestial bronze barbed wire, before turning them into a pincushion of silver arrows.

Percy lost track of time as they spoke, but he knew the night was darkening, and turning completely black. It was almost midnight already. It was then, Artemis stood up.

"Come with me, Perseus," She beckoned Percy, who dutifully followed.

He had hardly spoken a word, only letting out a small laugh now and then, especially when Artemis started cursing out the other Gods for their "misuse of the Hunt".

Following the Goddess, it hit him. Artemis was leading him, and it was truly _her_ date with him.

"You are unique, Perseus," Artemis suddenly blurted out.

"Uh, what?" Percy was equally taken aback.

Artemis stiffened, but conceded. "You are unlike any man I've seen, that's all."

Percy was dumbfounded. Yet, he noticed the normal arrogance missing from her voice. She sounded sincere. They entered a small clearing there, with her moon chariot safely parked at the side.

The Goddess stopped, before sitting down, crossing her legs. She looked up towards the night sky, littered with stars. The expression of wonder, and calm serenity was clear on her face, as she watched the little lights twinkling in the blanket of darkness above.

"The stars are beautiful today, Perseus," Artemis said, to which Perseus nodded.

"Especially the Huntress?" Percy asked, noting Zoe's constellation.

"No, all of them are beautiful," Artemis told sharply. "In this engulfing darkness of night, their light provides guidance."

Percy blushed, and she continued with amusement, "But yes, the Huntress seems particularly bright today. I see your point."

Perseus nodded and Artemis gave him a small smile, before turning her head toward the stars.

"Do you know why I made that promise?" Artemis asked.

"Erm, no, not really," It was the truth; he had no clue why Artemis wanted to do this again.

"Eloquent as ever," Artemis gave Percy a radiant smile. "It's simply my gratitude to you, Perseus."

"You're welcome?" Percy asked, to which Artemis laughed yet again.

"And like I said, you are unique," Artemis flicked an auburn strand behind her ear. "And I want to know why."

Percy scratched his head, but did not answer. He didn't really know how. So, he shared with her stories about the camp. Instead of barging into his words like she always did, Artemis intently listened this time, resting her chin on her palm, occasionally quipping "Aphrodite's children never change" or the mandatory roll of the eyes, shake of the head and " _men…"_.

It was a different side of Artemis that he saw here and only glimpsed for a few moments in the first date, that was for sure. She was in a word, kind. Her tone of voice was much softer, with barely any steel in it, if any.

Still, she was relatively quiet as Percy rambled on. He was about as bad as Artemis herself at this point, but he didn't want to stop. He didn't want the night to end.

"- She's my best friend, so I kind of know her when she's talking utter nonsense -"

There, Artemis perked up. "It still baffles me how you and Annabeth are still best friends. Honestly, I didn't quite believe it the last time, but it appears that you are speaking the truth."

"Well, we didn't really split because of some big fight, um, well, we had a few towards the end, of course," Percy remembered the spats that was growing more frequent as they both eventually grew restless, Annabeth especially wanting to pursue her dream in Olympus. "But she- but... well, we're best friends. We've been through too much together to not be."

"I see," Artemis looked rather mystified. "But-"

"There's such a thing called "splitting amiably", you know," Percy smiled, to which Artemis glared at him.

There was no malice in it though.

"Well, go on!" Artemis waved her hand, and Percy continued. They spoke to each other well into the night, as animals started to roost, and Artemis' head was starting to lean into Percy's shoulder.

Percy stiffened, not knowing how to react to this, but she was leaning into his shoulder. Auburn hair and maiden cheek and all. On his shoulder.

"Anyway, well, and then Travis and I -" Percy's throat was probably as dry as a bone at this point.

"Be quiet, Perseus," Artemis said, leaning even more deeply. "Let us watch the stars once more. Dawn isn't long now."

".. Okay."

Every star constellation was tantalizingly bright, lighting up the deep, green grass around the two. A breeze started to blow, and Percy started to slack a little, as he felt Artemis' warmth beside him.

"Let's hope Apollo doesn't find out about this," Percy broke the silence.

"Even if he did, he wouldn't dare. You after all, are the Hero of Olympus, and Poseidon's undoubted favourite," Artemis whispered, before noting in amusement. "Not to mention that all of this stemmed from his own bet- that he _won_."

"But-"

"Percy?"

"Yes, Artemis?"

"Be silent." Artemis gave him a slight headbutt for good measure.

Percy quickly nodded, before looking toward the sky.

"Shame there's no moon," Percy observed, promptly noticing a slight blush on Artemis' cheek.

This time though, Artemis didn't bother to cover it. Instead she only closed her eyes, and together they enjoyed the last few moments of the starlit night.

 **xXx**

It was dawn, and a salty, seawater scent permeated the air.

Percy woke up with a start, and instead of seeing fiery, auburn hair on his shoulder, there was only a blue pillow.

He looked around, and saw the familiar surroundings of blue, and green. Percy was in his cabin.

' _Was it all a dream_?' Percy couldn't help but wonder, as he noted a small, silver parcel.

Opening it, there was a note, and a familiar broken horn of a Minotaur. His lips started to curl into a grin as he read the contents of the note, elegantly written in Ancient Greek.

 ** _Your reward, in remembrance for your first Hunt. We will hunt together again soon. I guarantee it._**

 ** _May the stars guide you, Percy Jackson._**

 ** _Artemis_**

He lay back, rather content. She had made another promise… All of a sudden, the cabin door slammed open. The entrant was rather flushed – probably with alcohol from the party – and dishevelled, but Percy would recognize him any day. The blonde hair, and shades hanging off his neck gave him away.

Apollo.

"I was betting on it being a dream… a wayward vision… but the blessing she cast on you proves otherwise," He murmured, before raising his voice. "What have you done, Perseus?"

 **xXx**

 **Rocky's A/N: Complete! Goodness, I'm so sorry this took so long! Well... this is the second chapter! I wanted to do it really delicately and properly this time, and stay true to the characters as much as I can. And wow… what an adventure this little story has been thus far.** **I dearly hope you all enjoyed.**

 **There will be one last chapter with an epilogue after this, to wrap up everything. I'll try my very best not to take another one year hiatus. :p  
**

 **Reviews are appreciated, and deeply listened to.**


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